Silverado Canyon crash kills 1, injures 6

A 17-year-old girl was killed and six other young people were injured in two separate accidents in Silverado Canyon on Monday.

The accidents happened around 2 a.m. near the intersection of Silverado Canyon Road and Santiago Canyon Road. A Honda Civic Sedan and a Honda Civic Coupe were involved.

The California Highway Patrol says the coupe was driving on Santiago Canyon Road with the sedan following behind. A 19-year-old male was driving the sedan, accompanied by a 20-year-old male passenger and two 17-year-old female passengers. Authorities say both drivers appear to have been speeding.

The driver of the coupe spotted a passing animal and hit the brakes. The driver of the sedan also hit the brakes and lost control of the vehicle. The car went airborne and plowed into bushes and street signs.

Apparently, one of the 17-year-old girls did not have her seatbelt on and was ejected from the car while it was rolling. The girl died at the scene.

The driver of the coupe turned around to check on the sedan, and crashed into a ditch.

All six hospitalized victims are expected to survive, the California Highway Patrol says.

According to the mother of driver of the coupe, her son and two other people in the car were heading to a nearby hangout. She said that all seven people involved in the incident were all very good friends.

The 19-year-old who was driving the sedan was not arrested, but he will undergo a toxicology exam to find out if he was under the influence at the time of the accident.

The names of the seven victims have not been released.

So far, the California Highway Patrol says the two cars never collided, and each incident is considered a single-vehicle accident.

A woman who lives in the area says it is not uncommon for cars to speed up and down the stretch of road, and she said there have been several accidents that have happened at that intersection. But she said she cannot remember an accident that was fatal.

"It breaks our heart that they lost the kids," said Connie Nelson of Silverado Canyon. "I've got children, everybody out here has got children, and it's hard to deal with thinking that they've got that loss to deal with now."

Part of Silverado Canyon Road had been closed for some time, but was reopened by about 5:30 a.m.